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Sourcing some tools and materials for XBOX 360 RGH?

  • 11-12-2013 3:15pm
    #1
    runswithascript
    Registered Users Posts: 2,789 ✭✭✭


    I am hoping to get all of the following before Christmas. Maplin have some of them, but the others their Dublin stores do not have or they do not have at all. If you know somewhere I can get the other tools, or somewhere I can get those tools Maplin do have for a better price before Christmas, or I am missing something other than the torx/small philips/small flathead screw drivers please advise:


    Antex 15W Miniature Soldering Iron Type C     - Maplins have this for €30

    Soldering Flux pen - I am not certain if the Rosin flux version is better than the regular, or if Maplins have them in store.

    Multimetre - Maplins tell me they have one in store for €12

    X-acto knife - Maplins do not stock these, would a stanley blade do the same job?

    Glue gun and glue sticks - Maplins do not stock these

    Heat gun - Maplins have for €24.99

    2mm heat shrink - I am unsure if this is something easily come by?

    Isopropyl alcohol - I think they have this

    Kynar wire, 22-30AWG - They did not know what I was talking about, does this go by a different name this side of the Atlantic?

    Thermal paste - they said they have some but not Arctic Silver which has been recommended.


Comments

  • #2
    TouchingVirus
    Registered Users Posts: 8,584 ✭✭✭TouchingVirus


    You've left it on short notice so be prepared to pay over the odds for this stuff by buying Maplins or Radionics.

    Soldering Iron: It would do fine for the job you have planned.

    Flux: Again, it would do fine. I've not noticed any difference in many fluxes I've used so don't overthink it - get it as cheap as you can, you don't use a lot of it per job

    Multimeter: Any multimeter with a continuity test would do. I picked mine up from DX.com for $10 - so don't go for a €30+ item, there's no need

    X-acto knife: What do you need this for? It's usually used for cutting traces, you don't need to cut any traces

    Glue gun: Not required at all

    Heat gun: Not required at all

    2mm heatshrink: Not required at all

    Isopropyl Alcohol: Called rubbing alcohol or surgical spirit, should be available in chemists. I don't have any, I just use a cloth to clean off the flux.

    Kynar Wire: Commonly known as wrapping wire, available in Maplins and Radionics. You shouldn't need this since you're purchasing the TX stuff, it comes with all necessary wires.

    Thermal Paste: Why would you want to take off the heatsink at all?



    It's at this point I have to ask you to post a link to your guide - between the glue gun, heat gun, knife, heatshrink and the paste I'm really curious to read the guide and see what sort ofan RGH you're about to attempt :)

    Edit: I'm going to read your guide this evening, don't go purchasing anything just yet


  • #3
    TouchingVirus
    Registered Users Posts: 8,584 ✭✭✭TouchingVirus


    Ditch your guide. It's overly complicated and hasn't a patch on the actual Team Xecuter guides that are on their forums.

    Prep the DemoN - Do this first!
    http://team-xecuter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88214

    Coolrunner install guide
    http://team-xecuter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86641

    Demon install guide
    http://team-xecuter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88107

    Here's a video of the DemoN install too that's on the TX forums - http://team-xecuter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91140

    Forget about any other site than the TX forums when dealing with TX products.

    There's no mention or photos anywhere of anything that suggests you need a heat gun, heatshrink, glue gun, a knife or thermal paste. I've done countless slim RGHs, you don't need these things :)


  • #4
    runswithascript
    Registered Users Posts: 2,789 ✭✭✭runswithascript


    TouchingVirus :)

    I am just going through the checklist and then I will post, thanks for all your help.


  • #5
    runswithascript
    Registered Users Posts: 2,789 ✭✭✭runswithascript


    I will drop the heatgun, thermal paste, heat shrink, kynar wire, and x-acto knife!

    I read through the guides and they seem very helpful. I have found TX's search engine difficult, and surely there top stickied tutorials should be the ones you linked! Say I put in 'install coolrunner rev 3' or something, it seems to result in too much. Are you aware of a CR Rev 3 install video to the same standard? I have one from YouTube but it is not great.

    Bad news on the ordering front. After finally having everything (not already ordered from CK3) ready to order. Even after discussing ordering to the Republic of Ireland from their website with several of their live chat agents on the website today, it seems for country I can only select Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, and the United Kingdom :( DAMN!

    What I can do is print what I had planned to order and go by Jervis Maplins tomorrow, take what they do have, and have them check their Blanchardstown store for the rest.

    I am glad I will not need the Kynar Wire because Amazon's third party seller will not ship it here either, and Maplins do not seem to have wrapping wire. Can I take it the wire strippers is also out then too?

    On the solder itself, I have read on the thread below, apparently quoting Xecuter himself 60/40 rosin core solder is the way to go - Amazon will not deliver what I find of this either, and searching Maplin.co.uk for the term rosin only results in a flux pen. Maybe they are all rosin core but they just do not say it? Is it through leaded is better than unleaded? Again Maplin only seem to sell unleaded.

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=67184396&postcount=20

    Your input is very much appreciated!


  • #6
    TouchingVirus
    Registered Users Posts: 8,584 ✭✭✭TouchingVirus


    The install pictures should be grand enough for the Coolrunner - it's a six or seven wire install that's very hard to mess up :) If you need help just ask on here and somebody will come along and give you a hand.

    You can order from Maplin UK to Parcel Motel - they give you a UK address in Antrim and will ship the box down to Ireland for you, storing it at a Parcel Motel close to your home for you to pick up whenever you're free. Lots of us have been using it for years to get around UK-only postage restrictions. http://www.parcelmotel.com/about.html. You'll probably save a bit of cash skipping the Jervis Maplin depending on what you're ordering.

    Regarding solder you'll be wanting lead solder anyway, lead-free is pants at the minute but it's getting better. The rosin core 60/40 is grand but I wouldn't obsess over it. Check out this guy in the UK on ebay - http://www.ebay.ie/itm/1-0mm-Soldering-Wire-Solder-Iron-Dispenser-Tube-60-40-Tin-Resin-Flux-Rosin-Core-/400601869529?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item5d45bb6cd9

    The wire strippers can be forgotten about too. If you need to strip a small bit just use your teeth :D

    BTW I've loads of Kynar wire so if you do mess up I'll meet up with you in Dublin and give you some to get you over the line.


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  • #7
    runswithascript
    Registered Users Posts: 2,789 ✭✭✭runswithascript


    TouchingVirus wrote: »
    The install pictures should be grand enough for the Coolrunner - it's a six or seven wire install that's very hard to mess up :) If you need help just ask on here and somebody will come along and give you a hand.

    You can order from Maplin UK to Parcel Motel - they give you a UK address in Antrim and will ship the box down to Ireland for you, storing it at a Parcel Motel close to your home for you to pick up whenever you're free. Lots of us have been using it for years to get around UK-only postage restrictions. http://www.parcelmotel.com/about.html. You'll probably save a bit of cash skipping the Jervis Maplin depending on what you're ordering.

    Regarding solder you'll be wanting lead solder anyway, lead-free is pants at the minute but it's getting better. The rosin core 60/40 is grand but I wouldn't obsess over it. Check out this guy in the UK on ebay - http://www.ebay.ie/itm/1-0mm-Soldering-Wire-Solder-Iron-Dispenser-Tube-60-40-Tin-Resin-Flux-Rosin-Core-/400601869529?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item5d45bb6cd9

    The wire strippers can be forgotten about too. If you need to strip a small bit just use your teeth :D

    BTW I've loads of Kynar wire so if you do mess up I'll meet up with you in Dublin and give you some to get you over the line.

    Thanks a million TouchingVirus!

    With your help it is now all ordered, Maplins order going through Parcel Motel, and with the money saved not buying a heat gun etc on Amazon I bought all else I was missing for the mod (I think): 1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue HDD, a COLT® Black HDD Hard Disk Drive Case for XBOX 360 Slim to make it easily hot swappable, and a spool of 60%SN(Tin), 40%PB(Lead) 0.8mm Diameter Rosin Cored Solder Wire, micro and mini male to male-b usb cables.

    No more I can do now but wait for it all to arrive so my girlfriend can wrap it up and put it under the Christmas tree for me, ho ho ho :)


  • #8
    runswithascript
    Registered Users Posts: 2,789 ✭✭✭runswithascript


    I was up Googling RGH HDD until very late last night. Amazon have not yet put my order through so I could still cancel the internal WD Blue 1TB HDD...

    Is it really inefficient to use an external? I ask as that is what the original guide I was using says. Also, I could fit a hell of a lot more RGH content on a just as fast 3.5" 4TB external - I had been planning on complimenting the 1TB RGH WD HDD with an external for media, but the RGH drive would of course be limited to 1TB of content.

    I was also Googling a way to DemoN switch between RGH and stock NAND without physically swapping HDDs. Some people suggested using a 32GB flash drive when using stock, and that you could leave the RGH HDD connected as the stock system would not even be able to see it. This seemed like a good idea until I considered how small 32GB sounds for storing DLC etc. I found some people who tried splitting the SATA cable and setting up some kind of switch but it seemed messy.

    Any thoughts?


  • #9
    TouchingVirus
    Registered Users Posts: 8,584 ✭✭✭TouchingVirus


    I have a 500GB 2.5" SATA in mine, it's still not full. Realistically how much content are you going to put on it that you're going to us day in day out or even semi-regularly. All the rest of the non-regular apps can just be kept on separate storage and FTP'd (or USB'd) across to the console when you need it.

    You need to maintain absolute separation of all data between RGH and stock, personally I'd always be using separate hard drives.


  • #10
    runswithascript
    Registered Users Posts: 2,789 ✭✭✭runswithascript


    dusf wrote: »
    I was up Googling RGH HDD until very late last night. Amazon have not yet put my order through so I could still cancel the internal WD Blue 1TB HDD...

    Is it really inefficient to use an external? I ask as that is what the original guide I was using says. Also, I could fit a hell of a lot more RGH content on a just as fast 3.5" 4TB external - I had been planning on complimenting the 1TB RGH WD HDD with an external for media, but the RGH drive would of course be limited to 1TB of content.

    I have been researching this further and it seems that even if I was using an external for RGH, some of my applications would still require an internal HDD anyway.


  • #11
    TouchingVirus
    Registered Users Posts: 8,584 ✭✭✭TouchingVirus


    Some of your what now? Applications :) Yes, some of them will require internal storage. Save yourself a headache


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  • #12
    runswithascript
    Registered Users Posts: 2,789 ✭✭✭runswithascript


    TouchingVirus wrote: »
    You need to maintain absolute separation of all data between RGH and stock, personally I'd always be using separate hard drives.

    Yes, that's the way I am going to go. CK3 received my bank transfer this morning, it has begun :)

    I was worried earlier when I learned XBOX 360 cannot play all codecs when the RGH hack is applied, or at least mkv. I have been wanting to use the XBOX 360 as a complete media centre. I am not very excited by the prospect of having to re-encode/re-package all mkv before viewing on the XBOX.

    Do you have a Plex NAS server connected to yours? Setting up some kind of NAS DLNA server for Plex on the XBOX 360, and a router that will just route traffic through a VPN for HULU, FOX, ABC, and BBC iPlayer etc would be a nice future project.


  • #13
    TouchingVirus
    Registered Users Posts: 8,584 ✭✭✭TouchingVirus


    I don't use the Xbox 360 for media. It does not support a lot of codecs and doesn't support popular containers like MKV. Using streaming services like Plex which transcode the files into Xbox-compatible formats is never something that appealed to me because of the loss in quality so I have an actual media PC for doing that now.

    I'm hoping the Xbox One is a bit more free in the codecs and media it supports.


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